So before he took the stage Tuesday at the Westin Galleria, the Texas coach asked a cheerleader from every school in the Big 12 to stand next to him in support, in case he got any of what he called “hard questions.”

The questions came anyway. And as the girls stood there with forced smiles, the scene soon turned awkward, confusing and clearly fell short of Brown's grand expectations.

In other words, it was a perfect backdrop to him talking about his quarterback situation.

In perhaps the least surprising development of Big 12 media days, Brown insisted David Ash and Case McCoy — who alternated for most of last season — remain on equal footing heading into the start of preseason drills.

The Longhorns haven't had a clear starter at quarterback in 20 months, and Brown said he's no closer to choosing one now than he was last year.

“You can't force it to happen,” Brown said. “We thought it would happen in the spring, and it didn't.”

Coming off a season in which the Longhorns went 8-5 and won the Holiday Bowl, they return the bulk of the Big 12's best defense, three dynamic running backs, an experienced offensive line and a group of promising receivers.

What they lack — and have lacked since playing for the national title at the end of the 2009 season — is a reliable QB. After Garrett Gilbert was benched in the second game last year, Ash and McCoy spent more time struggling than succeeding, and neither held the job for long.

Ash, who played the entirety of UT's bowl victory over California to earn offensive most outstanding player honors, is widely presumed to be the frontrunner, but Brown bristled when that notion was suggested Tuesday.

“I think you're wrong,” Brown said. “I think we need to wait.”

This wait, though, is becoming biblical, and Brown eventually will have to preach something other than patience. Even though senior offensive lineman Mason Walters concedes that “it's not like one guy has pulled away,” he said most players hope the Longhorns will settle on one quarterback before the season starts.

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So who's it gonna be?

Once again, Case McCoy and David Ash will vie to become UT's starting quarterback:

David Ash, soph. (6-3, 223), Belton: As a freshman last season, Ash played in all 13 games and started six, including every offensive play of UT's Holiday Bowl victory over California. He has a stronger arm and is a better runner than McCoy, but he's also been more prone to interceptions.

Case McCoy, jr. (6-2, 200), Graham: Colt McCoy's younger brother played in 11 games and started five last season, with his best moment coming on a 25-yard scramble to set up a game-winning field goal at Texas A&M. If he has a strength as a quarterback, it's his ability to improvise.

“You don't want to go back and forth,” Walters said. “You don't want to have a divided team in that regard.”

Brown realizes that's a risk. He said “the negative thing of having two is it can get confusing from a leadership standpoint.” But he said he and offensive play-caller Bryan Harsin will not make a decision until either Ash or McCoy makes it obvious.

“If it doesn't separate, you choose one to start the game, and if he doesn't play well, you put the other one in,” Brown said.

If there's a bright side to the ongoing controversy, it's that the coaches and players all say Ash and McCoy are improving, and Brown said he has confidence in both of them.

“The problem is we have two quarterbacks,” Walters said. “But the good thing is we have two quarterbacks.”

Whether it's because of injury or performance in practice next month, one will become the starter against Wyoming on Sept. 1. Their teammates are looking forward to that.

“Eventually one's going to be picked,” linebacker Jordan Hicks said. “And when that one is picked, we have to rally around him.”